


Do me a Favour

by diogorivers



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Arctic Monkeys - Freeform, F/M, Favourite Worst Nightmare
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-10
Updated: 2014-02-24
Packaged: 2018-01-04 05:30:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1077089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diogorivers/pseuds/diogorivers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern Day AU where Charles' curiosity became such a heavy load, too heavy to hold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. ...such a heavy load...

**Author's Note:**

> The Hotel AU is based on the downton-abbey-rp old AU, group where I mod and play Isobel.  
> Also, this series might have trigger warnings for alcohol and smoking.

{ _Curiousity becomes a heavy load,  
Too heavy to hold, too heavy to hold…_ }

Life has been good for Elsie Carson. Married the man of her dreams, been with him for nearly 25 years, had the most wonderful daughter who was in studying abroad and had kept a job that made her so happy all these years. She had always dreamed of a life like this, and she had achieved, and now she could only hope to live more so she could stay in this life for a little longer.

Charles Carson, her husband, was a kind and loving man. They met in their workplace, which was an hotel, one of the most important and crowded in London – the Downton Hotel. They fell in love instantly. She was everything he wanted on a girl, he was everything she wanted on a boy. It was perfect, and it remained perfect after all these years. He’d bring her flowers occasionally, make her dinner, take her out for a drink every once in a while. He didn’t mind when she shopped too much, or when she forgot to do the dishes. She didn’t mind when he drank a little too much, or when he left his underwear on the bathroom floor. They were in perfect sync.

But as soon as Ivy, their daughter of no 18, left for Manchester’s Law School, it felt like something was missing. At first, it was only the stress from the work, as it was the Christmas season in the Hotel and they both knew they’d have little time for each other, but then… The talks began simple exchanges of simple words; the brushing of lips became fewer, and most of the time when Elsie begged for them were the times where Charles would… bring himself to. Something was missing, something was wrong.

Elsie loved him so much, and she was sure she hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary. She was home because she took two days off work to get on some Christmas shopping, and on one Monday morning she began to suspect something.

“Charles…” She spoke softly, while in her nightgown, as she approached him in the kitchen. “…Is everything okay?”

Charles looked at her, cup of strong coffee in his hand and a relaxed look on his face. He was already dressed up for work. “Shouldn’t it be?” He drank from his cup, calmly placing it in the counter afterwards.

Elsie sighed, crossing her arms. “You seem like… you’re not you.”

“Honey, I’ve been following the bosses like crazy these past days. You know how it is.” He picked up his jacket from the chair next to him and dressed it. “You’re lucky this year it’s your turn to have the free days on this season. It’s mad out there.”

“Charles…” She approached him, grabbing his arm.

“Darling, you’ll meet with Beryl today, won’t you? Do me a favor and ask her to reply to my bloody email, because Robert really wants the reply by the end of this afternoon.” He released himself from her, action Elsie thought to be of the coldest of ices. “I’ll see you tonight,” he grabbed the keys of his car and his bag, and started heading to the door.

“Won’t you kiss me goodbye…?” She asked, completely worried something else was wrong. She couldn’t understand his actions and she worried for the worse.

Charles turned to her. “I’m late, Elsie.”

“Please. You never seem to kiss me like you used to in the past.”

Charles shrugged, defeated, approaching her, leaving her a dry, unpleasing kiss on her lips.

… **…**

Elsie had taken a shower and her breakfast before getting on some clothes to head out to Starbucks to meet with Beryl Patmore, an old but very close friend of hers. She wanted to pick some heels, get some nice make up on, so she wouldn’t look like she was going to the hotel, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it because Charles barely even looked at her that morning.

London was very cold in December, as always. The bus was crowded with tourists and Elsie almost forgot to exit where she was supposed to, her mind clouded with the search for reasons for him to behave like that. Holding on to her bag and to her scarf, she walked to where Beryl would be waiting her that said morning.

Beryl Patmore was the cook of one of the most famous restaurants in the area, and she had worked in the hotel with Elsie in the past, but left for an opportunity that had appeared for her. Since then, the restaurant where she worked became the main spot for old co-workers like Elsie and Charles as well her old bosses, the Crawleys, to have dinner, since they could always get tables.

“Good morning, Elsie…!” Beryl greeted joyfully, her fringe covering her forehead, that fiery hair she always had and loved. But the smile and the joyfulness vanished as she saw properly Elsie’s face. “…looks like someone got out of the house in a hurry.”

“I’m sorry, Beryl… and good morning.” Elsie kissed her friend in the cheeks and sat beside her, taking the gloves out of her hands. “I really didn’t felt like getting pretty for you, I’m afraid.”

“Something the matter?” the redheaded asked.

If there was someone who knew their marriage well, Beryl was the person. Alongside Isobel Crawley, she was the bridesmaid, and the godmother of Ivy. Elsie began to explain what was happening, what she was feeling and how distant Charles seemed to be those past days. Beryl was getting worried for her friend.

“…That doesn’t sound like him. Two months ago he bought you flowers and you two went to Wales and everything, and you’ve told me it was so good!”

Elsie nodded. “That’s what I don’t understand. When the subject is our daughter, he’s all ears, but when there’s something else, he just… doesn’t listen. And it has been more frequent these past days…”

“I don’t want to sound nosy, darling…” Beryl leaned forward a bit. “but what about the… you know.”

“We haven’t done anything in more than a month.” Elsie sighed heavily. “I know we don’t really have the time but we always found time for… those pleasures.”

The redheaded woman crossed her arms “…Give him time, surprise him, I don’t know. You never had this problem before, and I’m not really familiar with this kind of things.”

Elsie looked at her own hands laying on her lap, mainly to her wedding ring. It wasn’t shining as it did when she first wore it, but… it seemed heavier now.

… **…**

Charles arrived home, Elsie could hear it from their bedroom. He got in there and smiled, but not a familiar smile, not the one she loved. “How was work?” Elsie asked, hoping to at least talk to him.

“Busy.” He said, taking of his tie, then his shirt, then his trousers. Elsie looked at him carefully. “I’ll take a shower.”

“Go on.” She replied dryly as well.

As he got inside the bathroom, Elsie got up. She had chosen something at least she thought he’d find appealing to him, and she sat on his side of the bed, crossing her legs. Looking at the mirror, she arranged her hair, and tried to smile. If he wasn’t willing to have sex with her, at least she’d have to try to change his mind… Until a certain strong scent floated in the air, coming from his shirt.

She picked it up, and inhaled the scent coming from the fabric. Her hands started shaking, that scent… That scent was womanly, from someone’s else perfume, from a woman. He was cheating on her… She didn’t want to believe it. What had she done wrong? That perfume wasn’t hers, she didn’t even like strong perfumes. And it wasn’t his, as well, as she knew perfectly every perfume he had because she had gotten him them all. She placed the shirt back on the bed, beside her, holding her tears, a lump growing on her throat.

And he got out of the shower, only with a towel on.

“…Elsie, honey?” Charles looked astonished. She looked to good, but her body was shaking. He noticed the shirt beside her… and he swallowed hard. She had noticed it.

“…” Elsie rose her head, swallowing hard as well. “Who is she?” She mumbled.

Charles approached her, his spine shivering in fear and regret. “…There’s an explanation.”

“I will ask again… Who is-“

“Elsie, please.”

“…SHE?!”

She started crying. Angry, she rose back to her feet, thrown the white, regret-stinking shirt to his face and ran out of the room, locking herself in Ivy’s old room. Charles followed her, asked for her to leave the room so they could talk. But she cried herself to sleep in her daughter’s bed, holding on to one picture of them three when Ivy was younger.

Charles had cheated on her. And he didn’t realize this curiosity for another woman’s affection would be too heavy to hold.


	2. ...hold on to your heart...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for smoking and alcohol, and some cursing.

{ _It's these times that it tends,_  
 _The start to breaking up, to start to fall apart_  
 _Oh! Hold on to your heart…_ }

The day had dawned and Elsie was desperately crying in her bed, and it started as soon as she woke up. She couldn’t remember if she had dreamed about anything else rather than how disgusted she was to the thought of the only man she truly loved laying on a bed beside another woman rather than herself.

And they were so happy, they had built such a strong relationship over the years, only for this to happen. Had she gotten ugly? Had she gotten boring? Had he never loved her, and some other woman, possibly younger, had the grit to sweep Charles from his feet? The more she cried, the more she knew she had to leave that room, her daughter’s room, get in a car and go somewhere to clear her mind, if that was possible.

On the other hand, Charles didn’t sleep, and he left as soon as the sun rose in the sky. He took a shower, and felt like the worst man in existence – and he should. He had cheated on a woman that he loved so much even after all those years. Some tears rolled down his eyes, but he had to go to work, he had to face the woman he slept with and finish the business he had with her.

Charles was rather drunk that night. It was one of the parties thrown by the staff at the hotel and Elsie wasn’t present because she was in Manchester dealing with Ivy and her scholar affairs. This woman was younger than him, but not much younger, and her hair shined like the setting sun. He remembered a black dress, he remembered it clearly – and he also remembered her lips on his, as he was walking her to her room.  Her hands, her legs around him, as the alcohol spoke for him and not his heart or his senses. The sex wasn’t all that amazing, he couldn’t remember, but it was the first time he had been with another woman rather than Elsie.

It had happened a few more times, like a torrid affair that one reads in the books. Sometimes in his office, sometimes on her car. He was going through this change of fate that he couldn’t simply understand – Elsie was still very beautiful and very attractive to his eyes, but why would he feel this attraction to a woman that he only had talked a few times? The curiosity became a heavy load, and it would cost him his nearly perfect marriage with Elsie. They had a daughter, a flat, two cars, many albums of pictures of their travels, books they shared, memories the same, and a love that no one could deny.

As he sat on his desk, drink in his hand, the other hand covering his mouth, his eyes somewhere else, looking at nothing, until a knock on the door startled him, drink almost falling on the ground.

“Yes?” He said, clearing his throat, getting up from his chair.

“It’s me.” A feminine voice spoke. Charles sighed.

It was her.

 **…** …

“Are you sure he cheated on you?”

Elsie felt Isobel’s hand on her arm as the Crawley woman asked her this. She had called Isobel as soon as she knew Isobel would be free, and even brought herself to make tea for them. Beryl was busy, and she didn’t trust many other people. Isobel was a very dear and close friend, and she had gone through this kind of feeling, this kind of abysm.

“…The scent wasn’t mine, nor the golden hairs on his coat.” Elsie’s voice was so vague, like it had no feeling. “And the worst is that I cannot begin to understand why he did it…”

Isobel straightened her back. “This isn’t the Charles Carson I know, and that I’m sure…”

“Nor the one I married.”

“Elsie, are you sure he did it…?”

She leaned forward to get a cigarette from her pack, as well as the lighter. “He didn’t state otherwise.”

Isobel knew Elsie hadn’t smoked in years. It was her who helped the other to stop, mostly because of her pregnancy.  Else wasn’t a heavy smoker back then, but as the retired nurse took a look at the pack of sin, she noticed it was almost empty. Isobel sighed as Elsie lightened the cigarette, but in that moment she didn’t care about a puff of smoke, but in her friend’s sanity.

“I know what you’re thinking, that I’m giving in to this again.” Elsie raised the cigarette to her lips again. “But I really had to, it’s the only thing that calms me down.”

“I don’t care about it.” Isobel stated, grabbing her cup of tea. “What’s important now is to know what you’re going to do with what happened. Does Ivy know?”

“Are you insane? She won’t know a thing until I know exactly who he cheated me with.” Elsie felt a lump on her throat. “But… That’s what troubles me the most. Ivy. She’s not even twenty, and she hasn’t even had a boyfriend, or even lived fully enough to deal with this kind of things. I don’t want her to go through this…”

“She’ll have to know, eventually… If you’re to get a divorce.”

Elsie looked at Isobel with the saddest eyes Isobel had ever seen. “Isobel…”

“I know. It’s hard to listen to. But… What if he doesn’t want anything more with you?”

“…”

Elsie broke down on tears, and Isobel brought the almost weightless body of her friend next to her, letting her head lay down on her shoulder.

 **…** …

“Come on in.”

Charles sat back on his chair. The woman entered, and smirked at him, moving around his desk, sitting on a empty spot of the same object of furniture, crossing her unveiled legs, smoothing her black, elegant skirt that only covered her thighs to the knees.

“Rosamund, no.” Charles forced himself to look in front and not to his lover, drinking from his cup. “Elsie found out.”

Rosamund crossed her arms. “I don’t care about her. And you didn’t seem to as well… if I remember correctly…”

Charles looked at her with anger, and got up from his chair nervously. He faced the other woman who was smirking with his angry eyes, controlling himself to not do something shameful… but nothing would be more shameful than what he had already done to his wife.

“I will not fuck you anymore, I will not have anything more with you. Get out of my office.” He said, ready to let the bomb inside him explode. “Get out!”

Rosamund laughed. “Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong. You’re mine now, Charles… And no man decides whenever I stop playing with him…”

“Get. Out…!”

She grabbed his shirt and brought him closer, noticing he was getting actually very upset. “I’ll put this straight for you, Carson. You’ll have dinner with me tomorrow, at Beryl Patmore’s restaurant, and then you’ll drive me to this hotel and make love to me again.”

Charles closed his fists, trying to get out of her clutch. “I won’t do that.”

“Oh, you’ll do it. If you don’t, I’ll tell Robert you’ve sexually assaulted me, and your job is gone, and so is the money to pay for your daughter’s studies. I couldn’t care less about Elsie job here.”

“You couldn’t do that…”

“Oh, but I can. He’s my brother, and he’s your boss. I always have the better hand. Tomorrow, at 7 pm sharp, at the entrance. Bring your better suit and wear your best cologne, or no cologne at all, so I can chose one that greets your old wife.”

Rosamund released him, got back on her feet, and walked of the office.

What she didn’t know was that John Bates was listening to the whole thing, and as he walked of the corridor as if he didn’t know about a thing, he couldn’t believe Rosamund Painswick would do this kind of thing, this kind of cruelty. He had always respected Charles Carson, and even though he didn’t like the idea of him having cheated on his wife, this couldn’t go unnoticed… and Charles Carson wouldn’t lose his job.

He fought the idea of calling Elsie, but instead, he went back to his office, and called for Anna. Anna was Elsie’s right hand in the hotel, and she’d know what to do.

But as Rosamund walked away, Charles grabbed another bottle of whiskey and filled his glass, only to drink it all in one go. She was between the sword and the wall, and nothing he could do was going to help the current situation with Elsie… Should he tell Elsie? She wouldn’t listen to him…

…And he couldn’t tell anyone more.


	3. ...the eyes were all red...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that it has been a while since I updated this work: university takes a lot of time from me and honestly, I had this chapter written several times, but I did not find it good enough. Hopefully you’ll like this chapter. As always, trigger warnings for alcohol and some strong language. As you know, this is not your average approach to this pairing. Reviews are appreciated. Thank you for waiting & reading!

{ _…She walked away, well her shoes were untied,_  
And the eyes were all red,  
You could see that we've cried…}

That night John Bates could not sleep. He couldn’t find a simple explanation to why would his boss’ sister do this to a kind man like Charles Carson… And as far as he knew, Rosamund wasn’t exactly the woman to choose men that were working for Robert for her personal playground. He tossed and turned on the bed, not exactly thinking if he’d bother Anna with all this. Anna knew about this – Bates had to talk with his wife, because they cherished a lot the care and love they received from both Charles and Elsie.

“…John…” Anna mumbled, half-awake, raising her head to look over him. “…You could just… calm down…”

John sighed. “It’s not that simple, Anna… I just can’t calm down and rest knowing that… that _bitch_ is ruining Charles’ marriage… I never liked her!”

Anna reached for his hand, squeezing it calmly, gently, to his heart could settle at least a bit. “John… Why don’t you talk with Robert? I’m sure he knows how to deal with this…”

“And risk being fired?”

“…He trusts you, John. You and Charles are his best men for all jobs. I’m sure he’s not affording to lose one, or even the two of you.” Anna smiled. “Besides, I’m as bothered as you are. But I can’t reach Cora as easily as you can reach Robert…”

John raised Anna’s hand and kissed it. She always knew what to do and how to do it. He loved her so much, sometimes it was hard to say no to her. But she was right. He had to do something.

**…** …

Elsie slept alone that night. Or rather, she didn’t sleep at all. She drank a whole bottle of whiskey, and smoked perhaps more than she had ever done in her life. She had the television on but she couldn’t be bothered to pay any attention to what was going on. Sitting on the floor, bottle of booze on her side and cigarrete in her hand, she leaned her back towards the wall, leaving a huge sob in the air, but no tears seemed to fall from her eyes. Only anger and questions, questions.

Why would Charles cheat her, when nothing was wrong? Nothing was wrong. They were better than ever. They were going to travel, they were going to Paris, to kiss under the Eiffel Tower, all those clichés only couples think of and that they had planned for years. It wasn’t fair that this had to happen now. Yet, she couldn’t believe it, but for some reason, she couldn’t believe Charles if he was to tell her otherwise. She couldn’t even look at him if he appeared right there, in front of her.

“…Shit…” She brushed her nose with the back of her hand. “…Shit…!”

On the other side of the coin, Charles was in his car, just right outside his house. He saw the lights of the living room on but he couldn’t bring himself to even get out of his car. What was he going to do? Elsie wasn’t exactly reachable nor mentally sane to have a proper conversation with him. He heart ached with every blink of an eye. He couldn’t just go and quit his job, nor he could lay in bed with Rosamund again. The sword was sharp and the wall was cold, and he had nowhere to go.

He would have to talk with someone, though. Perhaps he’d ring for Clarkson. It was late, perhaps in the morning. Charles look around his car, trying to find out how he was supposed to sleep.

**…** …

“Bates, what is it you wanted to talk about?” Robert asked promptly right after Bates walked in his office. He knew John far too well to know that this wasn’t going to be a favour or anything of sorts. It was too early for John to even come to work – Robert knew exactly that something was indeed wrong. Bates wasn’t the kind of man to seem so bothered in the morning.

“…Robert, you’re not going to like this.”

John proceeded to explain what he heard. With every word he spoke, he could see Robert’s eyes widening, mumbling the incredulous ‘what’ in his breath.

“Bates…!”

“Please let me explain further!”

He continued with his explanations, and every time he mentioned Rosamund (controlling himself to not call her by any other name, since she was Robert’s sister, after all), he sensed Robert’s breath growing heavier.

“…Is this a joke, Bates?” Robert asked almost violently. John sighed heavily, tolerating his tone of voice, since it was plausible that he felt like that.

“I’ve never lied to you, Robert. I owe you so much. Do you really think that I’d make any of this up?” John crossed his arms, his voice thickening.

“…But… with Charles? What has he ever done to Ros for her to do such a thing?” Robert laid back on his chair. “…But I’ll have to slice this out of her throat. If what you say is true…”

“…and it most probably is…”

“…She’ll have to answer before me.” John said, raising from his chair. “Thank you, Bates. I’ll take it from here. Just… email Charles and tell him to come here tomorrow.”

“Sure do.” John nodded.

**…** …

Charles eventually knew that to maintain a healthy lifestyle he had to man up and go inside to at least take a shower or even eat something. It was also his house, and as far as he knew, Elsie was probably locked up in their room. If she was anywhere to be seen, he’d face her, or at least say a few words. She had to at least talk with him once if ever. So he got out of the car, grabbed his keys, shrugged of the cold breeze and opened the door.

The sound of the door opening startled an half-asleep, half-drunk Elsie. She got up quickly, trying not to fall on the ground with the dizziness and she let the cup on her hand fall on the ground, shattering into pieces all over the floor.

“…Oh Elsie, what have you done…” Charles rushed towards her, only for Elsie to take a step back, away from him.

“…what have I done?! You…! You were the one with the other woman!” She shouted.

“Elsie, I know you’ve been drinking, c’mon, let’s get you to bed…” He tried to reach for her arm, only for her to be more violent towards him. Charles could smell the scotch in her breath, and the sweat in her skin. It almost made him cry.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!”

“Elsie, please!” He almost begged, standing still.

“I’m not bloody drunk, I can walk by myself!” She walked quickly past him, towards the door, taking the car keys from the table, almost falling in the process. Her car was far from the house, and she had to cross the street…

…But in that moment, everything seemed like to slow down. Charles was persuing her, and a speedy car was approaching. She could barely hear his screams as she seemed to stop and stand in the middle of the road… the car approaching…

Charles jumped in front of the car, pushing Elsie far from the danger, but getting thrown away by the weight and speed of the car, which made him roll unconscious a few metters…

…Elsie saw it all, and couldn’t speak, tears falling down her eyes. The man who was driving got out of the car, yelled a long ‘fuck’ and call the ambulance, assisting Elsie to get up. She approached Charles’ vulture, blood on his face and shirt, his eyes closed.

“…No…” Elsie fell on her knees beside him. “…No… Please… No…!!!!!!”

The compulsive sobs, the streams of tears, they never seemed to stop. Not even when the ambulance arrived. Not even when they forced her to stand up and get home. There he went, her husband, who saved her… And she barely knew if he was safe. Isobel arrived a few couple of minutes later, holding Elsie in her arms, helping her to clean herself, changing into clean clothes, and even force-feeding her.

“He’s going to be fine.”

That’s all Isobel managed to say. She had her phone next to her, ready to hear about more news…

“He’s going to be fine…”

She repeated after Isobel, while lying on the couch, burying her face on the pillows.

“…please…”


	4. ...endings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who has accompanied this little piece of work to this day – I’ve never received so many reviews and overall good feedback. I was very, very afraid of releasing it, since it’s not a familiar approach to this pairing (and I’m not only a writer, I’m also a reader, so I know about the lack of this kind of work in the fandom right now). Now it has come to an end. Thank you for reviewing, following, reading, and I’m sorry for any feels that I have caused. It’s all Alex Turner’s fault. His perfect lyrics… god. Well, let’s kick in to what’s really important. Again, trigger warning for some mean words and unforgiveness.

{ _How to tear apart the ties that bind, perhaps fuck off might be too kind…_ }

The minutes, the hours, they all passed so slowly as Elsie walked up and down the corridor. All the thoughts going on her head felt like bullets on a revolver, every single one leaving a trail of pain behind. Isobel was there, sitting, looking at how hyper Elsie was. ‘Better this than having her melting onto one of these seats… I might clear her head’, she thought to herself, raising up.

“Els, you sure you don’t want anything to eat?” Isobel asked again, searching her bag for her wallet.

Elsie sighed loudly, leaning herself onto a wall. “No.”

“Coffee? C’mon. All you’ve done was smoking and running up and down this corridor.”

“No.” Elsie repeated again, closing her eyes tightly, raising her voice. “Not until I know if he’s okay.”

“…Elsie…” Isobel approached her friend, only to stand still a few steps from her objective.

“I just want to know if he’s alright, Isobel. It’s all I want. Then I can sit down. Then I can breathe. He jumped in front of a bloody car for me, I don’t know if you can understand that…”

“He also cheated on you.” Plain and cutting, those words were. From Isobel’s mouth at least.

Elsie turned her face to the other woman.  “…Fuck off, will you? I don’t need that now!”

Isobel’s face turned red. “Sorry. I didn’t meant to.”

“I love him. Always have. He was the salt of my sea; he is all of that and more. I know what he did was disgusting, but I love him beyond whatever women he kissed, whatever women he went to bed with. If I’m hurt? Yes,” Elsie turned completely to her friend. “I am. I have never felt this kind of pain. Can I forgive him? No, who knows. Not now. But right now I don’t care if he cheated on me or not. All I care if he’s okay.”

A tear shined on Elsie’s eye, down her cheek it went. Isobel approached her, step by step, breath by breath, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“You’re a poet, Elsie. He’s alright. He’ll be alright. You’ll be alright.”

**…** …

“Any news?” Isobel asked as she spotted Richard Clarkson around near the coffee machine.

Richard sighed. “Well, he’s alright. He did break his leg, and a few ribs. Other than that, he was just had some bruises, nothing too scary. He’s asleep.” He crossed his arms. “And Elsie?”

“You know her. She’s not okay.” Isobel looked to the ground. “But if she hears the news, I’m sure at least she’ll be convinced to eat something.”

Richard raised Isobel’s head by the chin. “You’re a great friend.” He smiled at her. “I just wished she didn’t have to go through all this… Any word on Ivy?”

“She’s arriving. I’ll text her about her father. Go and tell Elsie, I’ll buy us some coffee. We all need it.”

**…** …

Elsie sighed in relief, like she was lifted from the weight of the world lying on her shoulders. Sitting down, she looked at Richard with a small smile on her lips, yet she felt the weight of the other pain slowly struggling on her heart.

“Thank you, Dr. Clarkson.” She said quietly.

Richard sat down beside her, crossing his arms and legs. “He’s a fighter. And you’re a great wife. Whatever happens now, remember what you two have accomplished together. All you’ve done for your daughter, all you’ve done for the place you work, for all of your friends.”

Elsie remained quiet.

“…Isobel told me.”

“…Of course. Doesn’t surprise me.” Elsie sighed, chuckling. “I have been her friend for years, years ago. And I also know that you two are together.”

Richard remained quiet.

“So I guess we’re even. I’ll tell you one thing… You may visit Charles right when he wakes up.” Richard stood up, turned to Elsie. “My name is Richard, Elsie. I’m also your friend.”

She smiled as he walked off.

**…** …

“Thank god he’s alright.” Robert’s voice almost cracked, like he feared for the worst. When he received Isobel’s call her literally felt like he had lost one of the most valuable men he had ever met, and a good, perhaps the best of friends also. Bates stood right beside him, and he could feel his heart steadying itself as he sighed in the relief of any bad thing happening.

“He’s sleeping a bit now. He’ll be alright in a couple of hours.” Isobel crossed her arms. “Thank you for coming, Robert… It means a lot for Elsie and him. You too, John.”

“Anything for the sake of good ol’ Charles Carson, Mrs. Crawley.” Bates smiled. “If Mrs. Carson is also alright, then I think I should head back to tell Anna. She’s also very worried, and then I’ll go to the hotel to settle things down with work.”

“Will you do that, Bates? Hopefully I’m not putting too much work on you.” Robert asked him sincerely.

Bates nodded negatively. “I’ll be fine, Robert. I’ll visit Mr. Carson later, with Anna.”

**…** …

When Charles found out where he was, and found out what happened, it was like he could remember every little microsecond of him jumping in front of the damned car. Robert was beside him, telling him something about he was to keep his job, that he knew about Rosamund being a bitch to him and all of that.

“…In all honesty, if I have to take any stand in this, it would be in utter disappointment, Carson.” Robert said, getting up from the chair. “You could have told me. It’s not the first time she had done this, from what I recently discovered. Anyway, you’ll take your time to rest and get that leg good and healthy and I’ll see you soon. And I mean it. I’ll see you soon. In your office, in your best suit, working like any other normal day.”

Charles smiled. “…Thank you…”

“No need to thank me.” Robert smiled warmly. “Hang in there, Carson.”

**…** …

Elsie sat down on the chair next to his bed, her hands clasped on her lap, looking carefully at them. She had so many things to say. Charles couldn’t find the strengths to even look at her, or even to say anything, any word at all. So they stood in the quietness of the room, inhaling and exhaling, like any normal human beings.

“…” Elsie gasped, trying to say anything, but she only dropped a few more tears down her cheeks.

“…You’re not going to forgive me.” Charles mumbled, still looking at the ceiling above him.

“No. Not now.” She mumbled in response, as if the silence was heavier than them.

“…Do you hate me, will you leave me?”

“…No.”

“…I love you, Elsie.” He spoke, looking at her, his hand trying to reach for hers.

She noticed all this, and looked at him. She could see the trail of tears in his face, the heavy breathing (most of it due to his injuries, yet still it was saddening to her eyes). Elsie took his hand and kissed it.

“…I love you too, Charles… But you did wound me…”

“I’m so sorry…”

“I don’t care who it was. Promise me… Promise me you’ll never do this again. Promise me you’ll never wound me again.”

“I promise.”

-One Month & Some Weeks Later-

The sun lingered in the clouds, but it was cold. It was winter, after all, yet the small hints of spring lingered everywhere. Elsie sat down beside Charles in the bench at the park, her skirt matching the colour of his trousers, her gloves matching the colour of her lips. Charles looked at his woman, taking her hands, putting the crutches he had to use aside. She leaned on him carefully, planting a kiss on his lips, a warm kiss, a long kiss.

“I love you, Elsie.” He whispered against his lips.

She pulled away from his cold, yet comfortable lips and even if her smile was still coming from a woman who was hurt, a woman who loved him but couldn’t bring herself to forgive what he had done. But she didn’t have to. In life, she had been hurt before. Betrayed. Everyone was. In her mind, she saw it like something that shook things a little bit, that made her think about what she wanted to do from that moment on.

And she wanted to love him more. She wanted to look at him and know that he was human, he wasn’t the perfect man she fell in love with. She wanted to love him in is good and bad. His bad movie choices, his amazing cooking. His cold feet in the morning, his warms hands by evening. Even though she was hurt, bleeding, she couldn’t bring herself to not want any more of that, when she longed for him more and more with every breath she took.

“I love you, Charles.” She whispered, leaning her head on his strong shoulder, carefully to not hurt him in his bruises.

No woman would ever have the Charles Carson she had. No woman would ever have the Charles Carson that loved her, that she married, that gave her an amazing daughter and that even though he failed once, he never failed again.

And that night it was their anniversary. It would be difficult to do anything apart from the holding hands and the kissing, but sometimes… sex is not what matters most, but being with who you love.

And they loved each other.


End file.
